Thermographic recording process

ABSTRACT

A recording process, wherein an organic reducing compound being present in a supported or self-supporting layer and corresponding to one of the following general formulae (I) and (II): ##STR1## wherein: R 1  represents hydrogen, an aliphatic group of a cycloaliphatic group, and 
     R 2  represents an aliphatic oxy group, a cycloaliphatic oxy group, an aryloxy group, an amino group of the formula ##STR2##  in which R 3  and R 4  (same or different) represent hydrogen, an aliphatic, a cycloaliphatic or an aromatic group or R 3  and R 4  represent together the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic nitrogen containing nucleus; ##STR3## wherein R 5  represents an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic group, is caused to effect in said layer under the influence of information-wise heating an information-wise reduction of a reducible reaction partner.

This invention is concerned with heat-sensitive materials suited for therecording and/or reproduction of information and to recording processeswherein such materials are used.

Heat-sensitive copy-sheets capable of undergoing a colour change by thethermally initiated reduction of a compound with an organic reducingcompound are known, e.g., from the United Kingdom Patents No. 318,203filed Aug. 16, 1929 by Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. and No. 866,076filed June 28, 1957 by Minesota Mining and Manufacturing, from theGerman Patent No. 888,043 filed June 29, 1943 by Agfa AG and from theU.S. Pat. Nos. 2,129,242 of Samuel E. Sheppard and Waldemar Vanselowissued Sept. 6, 1938, 2,504,593 of Andre Schoen issued Apr. 18, 1950,2,663,654 of Carl S. Miller and Bryce L. Clark issued Dec. 22, 1953 and2,663,657 of Carl S. Miller and Bryce L. Clark issued Dec. 22, 1953.

A heat-sensitive copy-sheet containing said compounds is suited for thethermographic copying of originals containing infrared-absorbing imagemarkings. When the original is exposed to infrared radiation inheat-conductive contact with such copy-sheet, the infra-red absorbingimage portions of the original are selectively heated and by heattransfer cause the development in the heat-sensitive sheet of a visibleimage corresponding with the image markings of the original.

A problem to be solved in connection with thermographic recordingmaterials resides in the difficulty to produce recording layers that aresufficiently stable in storage and still produce images having asufficient optical density on a neutral image background.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermographicprocess in which an organic reducing compound by means of heat effectsan information-wise reduction of a reaction partner in order to form avisible image.

It is another object of the present invention to provide thermographicrecording materials having a good storage stability and that produceimages of high optical density on a neutral image background.

More particularly the present invention relates to a heat-sensitiverecording material comprising an organic reducing agent or mixture ofreducing agents and (a) reaction partner(s) that with the aid of heatcan form (a) coloured substance in an oxidation-reduction reaction withsaid reducing agent or mixture of reducing agents.

According to one embodiment the heat-sensitive recording materialcomprises the organic reducing agent in a recording element being asupported or self-supporting layer that contains in intimate admixturesaid reducing agent(s) and said reaction partner(s) distributednon-differentially through its composition.

According to another embodiment the heat-sensitive recording materialcomprises on a same support the organic reducing agent(s) and saidreaction partner(s) kept apart in adjacent coatings from which they canreach each other during information-wise heating.

The organic reducing agent in said recording material corresponds to oneof the following general formulae (I) and (II): ##STR4## wherein: R₁represents hydrogen or an aliphatic group including a cycloaliphaticgroup and such groups in substituted form, e.g. an alkyl groupcontaining from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and

R₂ represents an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic oxy group, e.g. an alkoxygroup containing up to 18 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group e.g. aphenyloxy group, an amino group, a substituted amino group e.g. a##STR5## group in which R₃ and R₄ (same or different) representhydrogen, an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic group including saidgroups in substituted form e.g. an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, anallyl group, an aryl group e.g. a phenyl group or substituted phenylgroup that carries substituents e.g. halogen such as fluorine, chlorineor bromine or alkyl containing e.g. up to 3 carbon atoms, alkoxycontaining e.g. up to 3 carbon atoms or a nitrile group; or R₃ and R₄together represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic nitrogencontaining nucleus, e.g. a piperidine morpholine or pyrrolidine nucleus;##STR6## wherein: R₅ represents an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromaticor heterocyclic group preferably a phenyl group including said groups insubstituted form.

Specific examples of reducing compounds according to one of said generalformulae and that are particularly suitable for use in a thermallyinitiated reduction reaction are listed in the following table.

                  Table                                                           ______________________________________                                                                        Melting                                       No of the                       point                                         compound                                                                              Structural formula      °C.                                    ______________________________________                                        1       H.sub.5 C.sub.2 OCONHOH liquid                                                                        at 20                                                  ##STR7##               & 111                                         3       H.sub.2 NCONHOH         1477                                          4       H.sub.5 C.sub.2NHCONHOH & --                                          5                                                                                      ##STR8##               & 92                                          6       H.sub.23 C.sub.11NHCONHOH                                                                              75                                           7       H.sub.37 C.sub.18NHCONHOH                                                                             121                                           8       H.sub.2 CCHCH.sub.2NHCONHOH                                                                           113                                           9                                                                                      ##STR9##                79                                           10                                                                                     ##STR10##              154                                           11                                                                                     ##STR11##              184                                           12                                                                                     ##STR12##              127                                           13                                                                                     ##STR13##               95                                           14                                                                                     ##STR14##              120                                           15                                                                                     ##STR15##              150                                           16                                                                                     ##STR16##              180                                           17      CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.3NHCONHOH                                                                     130                                           18                                                                                     ##STR17##              130                                           ______________________________________                                    

the preparation of the compounds having the general formula (I) is knowne.g. from the published German Patent Applications No. 1,127,344 filedFeb. 18, 1960 and No. 1,129,151 filed Aug. 17, 1960 both by BadischeAnilin- & Soda-Fabrik.

For illustrative purposes a preparation of the preferred compound 14 isgiven here in detail.

The preparation of compound 14 called 1-hydroxyaminocarbonyl-piperidineproceeded as follows:

1-chlorocarbonyl-piperidine was prepared by introducing 1 mole ofphosgene into 500 ml of toluene at 5° C. Thereupon 1 mole of piperidineand 1 mole of pyridine were added dropwise to the phosgene solution at atemperature of 20° C. The precipitate of pyridine hydrochoride wassucked off, the toluene was removed by evaporation and the1-chlorocarbonyl-piperidine was distilled under vacuum. Boiling point:118° C. at 15 mm Hg. 1 mole of hydroxylamine hydrochloride was mixedwith 500 ml of methanol whilst stirring. To the obtained mixture 0.3mole of triethylamine were added at 10°-15° C. Thereupon a mixture of1.7 mole of triethylamine and 1 mole of 1-chlorocarbonyl piperidine in250 ml of methylene chloride were added dropwise at 10°-15° C. Thestirring of the reaction mixture was continued for 1 hour andsubsequently 2 moles of solid sodium hydroxide were added. The sodiumchloride precipitate formed was sucked off and the filtrate wasconcentrated by evaporation the solvent. The concentrate was added to 1liter of toluene at 100° C. The liquid was filtered, cooled down, andthe crystalline 1-hydroxy-aminocarbonylpiperidine was separated anddried. Melting point: 120° C. N-hydroxyaminocarbonyl morpholine(compound 15) having a melting point of 150° C. was preparedanalogously.

The preparation of compound 16 proceeded as follows: 1 mole ofhydroxylamine hydrochloride were dissolved in 1 liter of methanol and0.5 mole of triethylamine added to the obtained solution. Thereto 1 moleof 1-chlorocarbonyl-pyrrolidine and 1.5 mole of triethylamine dissolvedin 20 ml of methylene chloride were added dropwise while keeping thereaction temperature at 15° C. Thereupon 2 moles of sodium hydroxidewere added and the formed sodium chloride sucked off. The filtrate wasconcentrated by evaporation and the residue recrystallized from benzene.

Melting point of compound 16: 180° C.

The compound 18 (melting point: 130° C.), which is representative forthe compounds according to the general formula (II), can be prepared indifferent ways by reaction of the corresponding acid chloride orcarboxylic acid ester with hydroxylamine or by oxidation of thecorresponding aldoxime (see e.g. Beilstein IX, 9, 301, andErganzungsband 1, IX, 128 or Erganzungsband 2, IX, 213).

The organic reducing compound is used preferably in a supported layer orself-supporting sheet in intimate admixture with a reaction partner thaton heating produces a visible colour change by reduction. Suitablereaction partners are described e.g. in the United Kingdom Patent No.866,076 as mentioned above and the U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,896 of RichardOwen issued Oct. 29, 1963. As reaction partners noble metal compoundsare preferred that through an oxidation reduction reaction are capableof setting free a metal.

Preferred noble metal compounds are silver compounds, which under theconditions encountered in thermographic copying, i.e. preferably in atemperature range of 60° to 200° C., are poorly light-sensitive, e.g.the silver salts of aliphatic carboxylic acids with a thioether groupsuch as described, e.g., in the United Kingdom Patent No. 1,111,492filed Aug. 13, 1965 by Agfa-Gevaert AG or silver salts of long chainedaliphatic (at least C₁₃) carboxylic acids such as silver behenate,silver palmitate, silver stearate and others.

The effectiveness of the reduction obtained with the organic reducingagents of one of the above general formulae varies with the amountthereof. Useful results are obtained already with 0.25 mole of reducingagent per 1 mole of noble metal compound.

In addition to said image-forming reaction partners the recordingelement in which the visible image is formed may contain furtheradditives e.g. toning agents and auxiliary reducing or developingagents.

As toning agents suited in the production of black or neutral grey noblemetal images such as silver images, phthalazinone and its derivatives(see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,074,809 of Richard Owen issued Jan. 22, 1963 and3,446,648 of Wesley R. Workman issued May 27, 1969 and German Pat.Application P 2,220,618 filed Apr. 27, 1972 by Agfa-Gevaert AG and/orphthalimide compounds may be used.

The phthalimides preferably correspond to the following general formula:##STR18## in which: R represents a saturated or unsaturated aliphaticgroup or an alkoxy group, preferably having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, acycloalkyl group or cycloalkoxy group, e.g. cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl.

These compounds can be prepared according to processs known to thoseskilled in the art as described e.g. in Beilstein, Vol. 27, pp. 458 and512, Vol. 27, 2, Erg. page 382, Vol. 21, p. 607, Vol. 2, Erg. pages 444and 445, in Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 54, p. 8710 a-c (1960) and in thepublished German Patent Application No. 1,091,976 filed Oct. 2, 1958 byFarbenfabriken Bayer.

Other particularly suitable toning agents that may be used alone or inconjunction with said phthalazinones or phthalimide derivatives aredescribed in the German Patent Applications Nos. P 2,261,739 filed Dec.16, 1972 and P 2,328,145 filed June 2, 1973 both by Agfa-Gevaert AG andcorrespond to the following general formula: ##STR19## wherein: Xrepresents oxygen or a ##STR20## group wherein R₆ represents an alkylgroup e.g. a C₁ -C₂₀ alkyl group, preferably a --CH₃ or ethyl group,

each of R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ (same or different) represent hydrogen, alkyle.g. C₁ -C₂₀ alkyl, preferably C₁ -C₄ alkyl, cycloalkyl, especiallycyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, alkoxy, preferably C₁ -C₂ alkoxy, alkylthiopreferably C₁ -C₂ alkylthio, hydroxy, dialkylamino in which the alkylgroups preferably are C₁ -C₂ alkyl groups or halogen, preferablychlorine or bromine and wherein R₁ and R₂ or R₂ and R₃ or R₃ and R₄ mayrepresent the necessary atoms to close a condensed aromatic ring,preferably a benzene ring.

As auxiliary reducing agents sterically hindered phenols that on heatingbecome reactive partners in the reduction reaction, e.g.2,6-ditert.butyl p-cresol and/or 2,6-dicyclohexyl-p-cresol, and certainbisphenols e.g. those of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,648 of Burt K. Sagawaissued Dec. 15, 1970, may be used.

In the recording materials of the present invention the reactants arepreferably applied to a thin flexible carrier or backing such as paper,e.g. glassine paper or baryta-coated paper, or transparent film, e.g.consisting of a cellulose ester or polyethylene terephthalate, inadmixture with a film-forming polymeric or resinous binder. The bindercan yield a self-supporting sheet or tape when it has a sufficientmechanical strength.

The reactants may be supported in a fibrous web in the absence of abinder. Pigments, e.g. zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, fillers, meltablesubstances, e.g. waxes, dyes and various other additives may be includedfor obtaining special effects aimed at.

The reducible compound such as the noble metal salt and the reducingagent are preferably intermixed prior to coating, but may be applied inseparate but contiguous layers from which the reducing agent can diffuseto the noble metal salt during the heating of the recording material.

As binding agent for the reducing compound and the compound thermallyreducible therewith all kinds of natural, modified natural or syntheticresins may be used, e.g. proteins such as gelatin, cellulosederivatives, e.g. a cellulose ether such as ethylcellulose, celluloseesters, carboxymethylcellulose, alginic acid and derivatives, starchethers, galactomannan, polyvinyl alcohol, poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone,polymers derived from α,β-ethylenically unsaturated compounds, e.g.vinylhomo- and copolymers such as polyvinyl chloride, copolymers ofvinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, partially saponified polyvinylacetate, copolymers of acrylonitrile and acrylamide, polyacrylic acidesters, polymethacrylic acid esters or polyethylene.

Heat-sensitive recording materials of the present invention may be usedin any process in which heat is applied information-wise to or generatedin the recording material, e.g. by means of hot bodies for example a hotstylus or by means of heat-producing radiation, e.g. infrared radiation.

Heat-sensitive sheet-like recording materials of the present inventionare particularly suited for the thermographic copying of originalscontaining infrared-absorbing image markings. When the original incontact with the present recording material is exposed to infraredradiation, the infrared-absorbing image portions of the original areheated selectively and by heat transfer cause the formation in thecontacting heat-sensitive sheet of a visible colour change resultingfrom the reaction of the organic reducing agent with the reactionpartner of the "oxidation-reduction colour reaction", e.g. a noble metalsalt.

According to another exposure technique the recording material is heatedinformation-wise or image-wise by radiation absorbed in the recordingmaterial. In order to improve the absorption of information-wisemodulated radiation, which may be light and/or infrared radiation, thecopying material in heat-conductive relationship with theoxidation-reduction partner(s) contains a certain amount of a substanceor substances that are capable of converting absorbed electromagneticradiation energy into heat. Suitable substances for that purpose are,e.g., heavy metal particles and finely divided carbon. For more detailsabout such exposure technique and the use of these substances referenceis made to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,937 of Marcel Nicolas Vrancken issuedNov. 4, 1969 and the United Kingdom Patent No. 1,160,221 filed May 17,1965 by Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V.

Heat-sensitive recording materials of the present invention containingsaid noble metal salts are suitable for making direct, high-contrast,clear-detail, black permanent copies of typewritten, printed and othergraphic subject matter. The recording materials are stable at room andnormal storage temperatures, and may be stored in daylight withoutvisible change either before or after heat-copying when nolight-sensitive silver halide is present in their composition.

The thermographic recording materials may be applied in so-called"front-printing" as well as in "back printing". In front printing theradiant energy, e.g. from an infrared radiation source, is directedthrough a heat-sensitive copying paper to a printed original. Radiantenergy is absorbed selectively in the printed areas of the original andreleased therefrom in the form of heat energy, causing a visible changein the areas of the recording material corresponding with the heatedareas of the original.

In the "back printing" technique the radiant energy, e.g. from aninfrared radiation source, is projected through the rear side of theprinted surface of the printed original and the resulting release ofheat energy causes a visible change in the heat-sensitive layercontacting the printed surface. Just as in the front printing method thevisible change is produced in correspondence with the heated areas ofthe original. "Front printing" and "back printing" have been illustratedin the United Kingdom Patent 866,076 as mentioned above.

The following examples illustrate the present invention. The percentagesand ratios are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

The recording materials of the present Examples obtain a colourationalready at a temperature of 80° C. and are particulaly suited forrecording techniques in which the information-wise heating of therecording material proceeds with a hot stylus.

EXAMPLE 1

A dispersion was obtained by ball-milling the following ingredients for16 h:

    ______________________________________                                        butanone                50       ml.                                          after-chlorinated polyvinyl chloride                                                                  5        g                                            silver behenate         2.5      g                                            ______________________________________                                    

Before coating a solution containing the following ingredients was addedto 3 ml of the ball-milled composition:

    ______________________________________                                        butanone                  3 ml                                                compound 10 of Table                                                          (melting point: 154° C.)                                                                         0.02 g                                               ##STR21##                0.01 g                                              ______________________________________                                    

The coating of the final mixture was carried out on a polyethyleneterephthalate support of 0.1 mm at a wet coating thickness of 75 μm.

The coated layer was dried at 60° C. for 5 min. The heat-sensitive layerof the obtained thermographic material was put into contact with a papercarrying a text printed with carbon ink and contact-exposed withinfrared radiation in a THERMOFAX copying apparatus, Model 47-3M (athermographic copying apparatus of Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingCompany, St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A.). A black copy on a neutral imagebackground was obtained.

Same results were obtained by replacing in said thermographic materialthe after-chlorinated polyvinyl chloride with one of the followingbinding agents:

copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate

copolymer of vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile

copolyester of iso- and terephthalic acid and 1,2-ethanediol.

By coating on the recording layer of the present example 1 a secondbinder layer consisting of ethylcellulose applied at a wet coatingthickness of 50 μm from a solution of 5 g of ethylcellulose in 100 ml ofethanol, a much more optically clear image background was obtained afterdrying.

Same results were obtained by replacing silver behenate by silverstearate.

EXAMPLE 2

Example 1 was repeated with compound 18 of the Table in an amount of0.05 g. A good result was obtained.

EXAMPLE 3

3 ml of the dispersion obtained in example 1 were mixed with a solutionof 0.02 g of phthalazinone in 3 ml of butanone and coated at a wetcoating thickness of 50 μ m onto a polyethylene terephthalate supporthaving a thickness of 0.1 mm. After drying that coating at 60° C. for 5min. another coating was applied thereto at a wet coating thickness of50 μm from a 5% solution of ethylcellulose in ethanol, which solutioncontained also 0.5 g of reducing compound 9 of the Table.

After drying and thermographical exposure of the recording material asdescribed in example 1, a dense black copy of the original was obtained.

In said example 4 the ethylcellulose was replaced by the followingbinding agents applied from the following solvents;

after-chlorinated polyvinyl chloride applied from butanone

polyvinyl acetate applied from methanol

cellulose nitrate applied from methanol

polyvinyl butyral applied from a mixture of methanol and ethylene glycolmonomethyl ether (9:1 by volume).

Equally good results were obtained.

EXAMPLE 4

In a ball-mill 50 g of silver behenate and 0.5 g of 3-nitro-phthalicacid were dispersed in 1000 ml of a 10% by weight solution of acopolymer of vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride (monomer ratio being 15/85by weight) in butanone.

After 15 h of ball-milling a dispersion B was obtained.

To a polyester resin support of 0.10 mm the following coatingcomposition was applied in a covering ratio of 80 g per sq.m.

    ______________________________________                                        Dispersion B             30 ml                                                10% by weight solution in butanone                                            of said copolymer of vinyl acetate                                            and vinyl chloride       15 ml                                                5% by weight solution of phthala-                                             zinone as toning agent in butanone                                                                     5 ml                                                 5% by weight solution of compound 14                                          in butanone              10 ml                                                ______________________________________                                    

After drying at 50° C., a second layer was applied to the dried layer ina covering ratio of 70 g per sq.m from a 2.5% by weight solution ofethylcellulose in a mixture of 90 ml of ethanol and 10 ml of aceticacid.

After drying at 50° C. the obtained transparent heat-sensitive recordingmaterial was exposed reflectographically in a common thermographicexposure apparatus with an infrared radiation source. During theexposure the layer containing compound 14 was held in direct contactwith the infrared-absorbing black image markings of a printed text paperoriginal.

The area of the recording material corresponding with the image-markingsof the original turned black. The obtained copy was particularly suitedfor use as a transparency in an overhead projector.

EXAMPLE 5

In a ball-mill 50 g of silver behenate and 0.5 g of 3-nitro-phthalicacid as stabilizing agent were dispersed in 1000 ml of a 10% solution inbutanone of after-chlorinated polyvinyl chloride.

After 15 h of ball-milling a dispersion A was obtained. Onto a polyesterresin support of 0.10 mm the following coating composition was appliedat covering rate of 80 g per. sq.m.

To a polyethylene terephthalate support of 0.075 mm the followingcoating composition was applied in a covering ratio of 70 g per sq.m.:

    ______________________________________                                        dispersion A           70 ml                                                  butanone               60 ml                                                  5% solution of phthalazinone in                                               butanone               10 ml -5% solution of compound 18 in                   butanone               20 ml                                                  ______________________________________                                    

After drying at 50° C. a second layer was applied to the dried layerfrom a 2.5% by weight solution of ethylcellulose in ethanol in acovering ratio of 80 g per sq.m.

After drying that second layer at 50° C. a transparent thermosensitiverecording material was obtained.

The recording material was exposed reflectographically in a commonthermographic exposure apparatus with infrared light source. During theexposure said protective coating was held in direct contact with theinfra-red absorbing image markings of an original representing a printedtext on paper.

The area of the recording material corresponding with the image-markingsof the original turned black. The obtained copy was particularly suitedfor use as a transparency in an overhead projector.

EXAMPLE 6

Onto a polyethylene terephthalate support of 0.075 mm the followingcoating composition was applied at a covering rate of 70 g per sq.m.

    ______________________________________                                        dispersion A (see example 5)                                                                           70 ml                                                butanone                 60 ml                                                5% solution of butanone of                                                    phthalaznone             10 ml                                                5% solution in butanone of                                                    compound 10              20 ml                                                ______________________________________                                    

After drying at 50° C. the obtained recording material is image-wiseexposed as described in Example 5.

A black image on a transparent base suited for projection with anoverhead projector was obtained.

Analogous results were obtained by replacing the phthalazinone as toningagent by one of the following compounds having one of the followingstructural formulae: ##STR22## described in the German PatentApplications Nos. P 2,261,739 and P 2,328,145 as mentioned above.

According to the particular embodiment after the drying at 50° C. ontothe dried layer a second layer was applied from a 3% solution in ethanolof ethylcellulose at a covering rate of 50 g per sq.m. After drying amore transparent material was obtained.

EXAMPLE 7

In a ball-mill the following ingredients were mixed for 8 h:

    ______________________________________                                        ethyl cellulose   5          g                                                silver behenate   1.25       g                                                3-nitrophthalic acid                                                                            0.025      g                                                methyl ethyl ketone                                                                             50         ml                                               ______________________________________                                    

To the obtained dispersion a solution containing 2 g of compound 17(melting point 130° C.) and 0.4 g of phthalazinone in 50 ml of methylethyl ketone were added. The resulting mixture was coated on a paperbase such as glassine paper at a covering rate of 150 g per sq.m.

After drying the recording material was held in contact with aninformation-wise modulated modulation-wise vibrating point of a styluswhich was heated to a temperature of 220° C. and operating at a writingspeed of 124 cm per min.

On the recording paper a dense black line track was obtained.

We claim:
 1. A recording process, which comprises exposing to a heat pattern a support carrying an organic reducing compound corresponding to one of the following general formulae: ##STR23## wherein: R₁ represents hydrogen, an aliphatic group containing up to about four carbon atoms; and R₂ represents an alkoxy group containing up to 18 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group, an amino group of the formula ##STR24## in which R₃ and R₄ (same or different) represent hydrogen, an aliphatic group or an aromatic group, or R₃ and R₄ represent together the necessary atoms to close a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic nitrogen containing nucleus; and ##STR25## wherein: .[.R₅ represents an aliphatic group containing up to 18 carbon atoms, an aromatic group or a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group;.]. .Iadd.R₅ is an aromatic group,.Iaddend.and a reducible noble metal salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid, said organic reducing compound being present in an effective amount to reduce said noble metal salt and said heat pattern having a temperature of at least about 60° C. and sufficient to initiate said reduction.
 2. A recording process according to claim 1, wherein R₂ is the group ##STR26## and R₃ and R₄ represent together the necessary atoms to close a piperidine nucleus.
 3. A recording process according to claim 1, wherein R₂ is the group ##STR27## and R₃ represents hydrogen and R₄ an alkyl group.
 4. A recording process according to claim 1, wherein the reaction partner is a noble metal salt which upon reduction yields free metal.
 5. A recording process according to claim 1, wherein the reaction partner is a silver salt, which in the temperature range of 50° to 200° C. is generally non-light-sensitive.
 6. A recording process according to claim 5, wherein the silver compound is a silver salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid containing a thioether group.
 7. A recording process according to claim 5, wherein the silver compound is a silver salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid containing at least 13 carbon atoms.
 8. A recording process according to claim 7, wherein the silver salt is silver behenate or silver stearate.
 9. A recording process according to claim 4, wherein the organic reducing agent is used in an amount of at least 0.25 mole per mole of noble metal salt.
 10. A recording process according to claim 1, wherein the organic reducing compound and noble metal salt are present in a sheet material and are heated information-wise in a temperature range of 60° to 200° C.
 11. The process of claim 1, wherein said noble metal salt undergoes a visible color change when reduced. 